Toy building structure including a framed window



Nov. 15, 1966 G. K. CHRISTIANSEN 3,284,946

TO BUILDING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A FRAMED WINDOW Filed March 23, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1 l I I I I I I I I I II II II I] II\ III II INVENTORATTORNEYS Nov. 15, 1966 G. K. CHRISTIANSEN 3,284,946

TOY BUILDING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A FRAMED WINDOW Filed March 23, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Godfl'red K0726 Gizrzlsiz'amem United StatesPatent 3,284,946 TOY BUILDING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A FRAMED WINDOWGodtfred Kirk Christiansen, Billund, Denmark, assignor to InterlegoA.G., Zug, Switzerland Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 354,011 Claimspriority, application Denmark, Mar. 26, 1963, 1,365/ 63 3 Claims. (Cl.46-49) The invention relates to a model or toy building set having aplurality of modular building elements of the type comprising a hollow,box shaped block having side walls, end walls and a bottom, the externalsurface of said bottom being provided with projections for engagementwith the cavity of one or more superimposed building elements. Whenassembling toy or model buildings by means of elements of the said typeit is essential for obtaining a realistic reproduction of modernbuildings that the window structures should be adapted to the style ofthe building and at the same time provide possibilities of substantialvariations of dimensions and location of the Windows and like openings.It is the object of the present invention to provide a frameconstruction for windows and the like that solves these problems.

The frame construction according to the invention can readily be fittedin any location of-the building and in any desired dimension and shape.It requires only posts and associated frame elements in various standardlengths adapted to the dimensions determined by the module of thebuilding elements. These several elements are especially suitable forwindows, but may also be used for partitions, wainscotting and the like.The plate or sheet which is inserted in the grooves in the posts and theassociated elements representing the glass pane of the window furtherserves to sustain the other elements and may be cut to requirements froma transparent or an opaque sheet, as desired, or it may be provided instandard sizes.

The construction and assembly of the frame structure will be apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawing, in whichFIG. 1 shows a window structure made from a frame arrangement accordingto the invention,

FIG. 2 an exploded view of the elements constituting the windowstructure of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the bottom plate 2, showing the structurein somewhat greater detail.

FIG. 1 shows part of a wall built up of building elements 1 of the typereferred to and with an opening for the insertion of a window. Thesubjacent row of building elements 1 is engaged by a lower frame member2, corresponding to the sill and along the vertical side of the windowopening there is a post 3 which together with a second post 4 and anupper frame member 5 disposed above the posts, define the pane area.Above the upper frame member 5 which functions also as a lintel,additional building elements 1 continue the wall structure.

The details will appear clearly from FIG. 2, which shows that the lowerframe member 2 is provided with a groove 21 for engagement with primaryor external projections 11 on building elements 1. The upper framemember 5 is provided with primary projections 51 similar to theprojections 11 on the building elements 1.

The lower frame member 2 is provided on the upper face with alongitudinal groove 23, and the upper frame member 5 has a similarlongitudinal groove 53 in the under face thereof. The post 3 has asmooth face on the side adjacent the wall and engages the wall closely,while in "ice the side facing the window opening there is provided alongitudinal groove 33. The other post 4 is provided in both sides withgrooves 43 but otherwise may be similar to post 3. The grooves 23, 33,43 and 53 serve to engage the edges of a window pane 6, and it is seenclearly from the drawing that the post 4 is adapted to support a windowpane at both sides, whereby it is possible to assemble a plurality ofwindows in side-by-side relation.

The upper frame member is provided with apertures 52 extending throughthe top face between the primary projections 51 and with slots 52 at theends. These slots and apertures form end and intermediate recessesforengaging projections on the posts as explained below. A projection 42may be provided at the upper end of post 4 for engagement with therecesses 52 to sustain and stabilize the structure. The lower framemember 2 is further provided at the ends with slots 22 for engaging theprojections 31 and 41 at the lower end of the two posts 3 and'4. Inaddition, apertures 22 are provided in groove 23 at intervalscorresponding to those of the upper member 5. These recesses, like thoseon upper member 5, serve to engage projections on the side elements orposts.

If desired, post 3 can also be provided with such a top projection.However, since the upper frame member is sustained by the pane 6 fillingin the grooves 53, projections on the upper ends of the posts are notnecessary and may be omitted.

The length of the frame members and the posts must necessarily beadapted to the module of the building elements so that the wall can bebuilt up around the window with a whole number of courses. It should benoted that a post of a type corresponding to the post 4 may also be usedhorizontally as a parting strip between the upper and lower panes of aWindow, in which case it is used without end projections, or thevertical posts can be provided with recesses to engage such projections.

The frame elements herein disclosed may be made of various materials,including'metal and cardboard or fiber. However, it is advantageous formanufacturing and merchandising reasons that they be made of a suitablesynthetic plastic.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosurerelates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it isintended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of theinvention herein chosen for the purposes of disclosure, which do notconstitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toy building set of the type including a plurality of hollowopen-faced building elements comprising blocks, each said block havingon the upper face projections proportioned for frictional engagementwith the open faces of other superimposed ones of said buildingelements, a window structure comprising a lower frame member having agroove means extending longitudinally thereof for engaging projectionsof subjacent ones of said building elements and with end andintermediate recesses spaced longitudinally along said member, adjacentones of said intermediate recesses being spaced from each other by thesame distance as the said projections of the building elements, an upperframe member provided with projections corresponding to the saidprojections of the building elements, a pair of posts adapted to formthe side elements of said frame, each of said posts having a projectionmeans on at least one of its ends for engagement in said recesses of theother frame members, the said lower and upper frame members and postsbeing provided with longitudinal groove means for engaging the edges ofa plate whereby J said plate forms a window pane framed by the upperframe member, the lower frame member and the two posts.

2. A toy building set according to claim 1 in which at least one of saidposts is provided with longitudinal grooves on two opposite sidesthereof for engaging a second plate in side-by-side relation with thefirst mentioned plate.

3. A toy building set according to claim 1, in which the upper framemember is provided with recesses for engaging projections at the end ofthe posts adjacent to the upper frame member.

4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,90811/1916 Schwartz 46-19 1,23 6,896 8/1917 Anderson 46-25 2,461,535 2/1949Erhardt 4619 X FOREIGN PATENTS 242,955 2/ 1960 Australia.

10 RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

F. BARRY SHAY, Examiner.

1. IN A TOY BUILDING SET OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HOLLOWOPEN-FACED BUILDING ELEMENTS COMPRISING BLOCKS, EACH SAID BLOCK HAVINGON THE UPPER FACE PROJECTIONS PROPORTIONED FOR FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENTWITH THE OPEN FACES OF OTHER SUPERIMPOSED ONES OF SAID BUILDINGELEMENTS, A WINDOW STRUCTURE COMPRISING A LOWER FRAME MEMBER HAVING AGROOVE MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF FOR ENGAGING PROJECTIONSOF SUBJACENT ONES OF SAID BUILDING ELEMENTS AND WITH END ANDINTERMEDIATE RECESSES SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID MEMBER, ADJACENTONES OF SAID INTERMEDIATE RECESSES BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY THESAME DISTANCE AS THE SAID PROJECTIONS OF THE BUILDING ELEMENTS, AN UPPERFRAME MEMBER PROVIDED WITH PROJECTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE SAIDPROJECTIONS OF THE BUILDING ELEMENTS, A PAIR OF POSTS ADAPTED TO FORMTHE SIDE ELEMENTS OF SAID FRAME, EACH OF SAID POSTS HAVING A PROJECTIONMEANS ON AT LEAST ONE OF ITS ENDS FOR ENGAGEMENT IN SAID RECESSES OF THEOTHER FRAME MEMBERS, THE SAID LOWER AND UPPER FRAME MEMBERS AND POSTSBEING PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINAL GROOVE MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE EDGES OFA PLATE WHEREBY